It's a good day to bring a ware, let's have a trade fair

Recently in my social studies methods class we had a trade fair. All of my classmates brought an item or items to trade. The purpose was to expose us to what it was like to barter and trade for goods. It is meant as an opening for teaching students about a trade economy such as Native Americans and Europeans. Our trade fair was a success. People bartered and traded for baked goods, coupons, pictures, bracelets, lotions, and mystery items. The trades were interesting to say the least. A tin of gum bought a lanyard. Five bags of gummy candies bought a cake. A cupcake and some candy bought a bracelet.

This activity was enjoyable. I can only imagine how it would work in a classroom of young students. This will likely get them out of their comfort zone. They will have to think about what items their classmates will like. They will have to figure out how to trade for what they really want while also accepting that what they want may be unobtainable. This activity not only teaches students about the economy of yesteryear but also about communication skills, supply and demand, persuasion, and need vs. want.

This activity can be done in almost any classroom grade three and up but there are some things to keep in mind:

1. Make sure every student has an item for the trade fair.

2. Know what each student is bringing beforehand so you can decide if it is appropriate.

3. If a student does not have an item or an appropriate item then get them an item. Talk to the parents and ask them if their is an item the student can bring. If the parents cannot provide an item either have the student make something or bring the student something to trade.

4. Make sure students understand that common courtesies should be used while trading. Bullying can easily occur during the trade fair and this must be avoided.

5. Make sure every student makes at least one trade. A trade fair is not fun if you do not get to trade with anyone.

6. Remind students to use their communication skills and talk about problems should they come up.

7. Give students plenty of time to trade but do not let it drag on forever because chaos will very likely ensue.